The Bloody Mist
by xxNoirLovexx
Summary: She had many names, The Crimson Child, the Shadow Bathed in Blood, Red Assassin - killing was what she was best at. But the one thing Amaya of the Blood Rain wanted more than anything was also the one thing that kept being taken away from her...Family. Will she ever find what her heart craves or will it be ripped from her grasp once again?


The air inside the room was thick and stale. Blood stained the walls and the floor; there were even dried splotches of blood on the ceiling. Rotting corpses lay in pieces, scattered around the room. The young boy couldn't believe the carnage in front of him. Slowly he lifted his mask and dropped it to the ground.  
"What are you doing?" asked a low, gruff voice from behind him. The young boy gulped not out of fear of the shinobi behind him, but of what had happened in this place.  
"Z-Zabuza-san…This is…" Haku whispered.  
"This is incredible." Zabuza said in awe as he pushed past his young protégé. His narrow eyes scanned the room for the person responsible for this. She would be the newest tool in his arsenal. With this girl and Haku, he would be unstoppable.  
"Zabuza-san…" Haku said as the faint whimper reached his ears as well.  
"I know." He replied and walked forward, kicking a severed head out of the way.  
"Stop it!" cried a small but defiant voice. Zabuza cocked his head to the side as a child stepped out of the shadowy corner of the room, a bloodied and ripped doll clutched tightly in her hands. Zabuza didn't say anything as he stared at this child. She had short spikey hair that was the colour of blood and large eyes of the same shade. Her skin was almost ghostly white and she was thin, so thin her clothes hung off her.  
"Who are you?" she asked curious and wary at the same time. Zabuza huffed,  
"For someone born in the Mist, you have no idea who I am? Jeez, you must be sheltered, kid." He said as he lowered his great sword. It hit the ground with a thud making the girl jump.  
"I'm rather a legend around here. They call me the Demon of the Hidden Mist. Name's Momichi Zabuza." He said smiling underneath his bandages as the girl's eyes went wide. She clutched the doll tighter to her chest and took a hesitant step backwards.  
"A-Are you here to kill me?" she whispered as tears began to pour down her cheeks, "If you are, that's good…"  
"You shouldn't say things like that…" Haku said as he stepped out from behind Zabuza. Suddenly the girl transformed. She threw the doll against the wall,  
"Have you seen this place?!" she screamed, flinging her arms out to her side, "I did this! I killed everyone! I deserve to die!" The girl collapsed to her knees in exhaustion and remorse.  
"Shut up, kid." Zabuza said as he looked out the window, "I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to give you a new life."  
"Y-you don't despise me?" she asked, eyes wide. Zabuza huffed,  
"I have a use for you. Come with me." He said and held out his hand, much like he did with Haku not too long ago. Slowly the girl got to her feet and walked shakily over to him, wiping the tears from her eyes as she went. Zabuza put his arm around her shoulders, flung his sword over his shoulder and walked her out of her house. Before leaving, Haku recovered the doll and tucked it into his pocket.  
"She might want this later…" he said to no one before he followed Zabuza and the girl out.  
"By the way," Zabuza said when Haku re-joined them, "What's your name?"  
"Amaya."

Family: Zabuza and Haku

-A few years later-

Amaya sat on the floor next to Zabuza's legs brushing her long crimson hair and half paying attention to the conversation her master was having with his soon-to-be new employer. Gatoh was a short, wealthy man who had more bark than bite. Amaya hadn't liked him as soon as he walked through the doors, and had made it very clear. She wasn't the only one; both Haku and Zabuza hated him as well. But since he was willing to pay them, she would have to bite her tongue.  
"So, do we have a deal?" Gatoh asked. Zabuza thought for a moment before answering.  
"Fine, I'll join your merry band of mercenaries…On one condition." He said, "Never make me work with anyone or I'll kill them."  
"But…"  
"I have my tools, they are all I need." He said resting a hand on the top of Amaya's head. She smiled up at him, before turning to glare at Gatoh.  
"You'd better live up to your name, Zabuza, or else…" Gatoh warned trying to sound intimidating. Amaya had to hold in the scoff threatening to burst forward.  
"Are we really going to be working for that man, Zabuza-san?" Haku asked from his spot leaning against the wall. Zabuza sighed and reclined back in the couch, resting his head on his hands,  
"Yeah." Was all the reply to two children got before they realized he had fallen asleep. Haku and Amaya carefully laid him down and put a blanket over him. It had been days since he'd slept, and when he did it was always uneasy.  
"Hey Haku?" Amaya asked as they both sat, looking out of the window.  
"Yeah?" he asked.  
"Do you ever miss them? Your family?" she asked as she braided her doll's hair. Haku didn't reply for a while and when Amaya looked up at him for an answer, she saw that his eyes were far away. He sensed her staring at him and his eyes dropped,  
"Sometimes I miss them, and I miss how happy we used to be. But even though it makes me sad, I'm happy that I have another family. You were lucky, Ama-chan. You didn't have to learn just how cruel it is to not have any purpose, no one to need you." He said sadly, "You were taken away before that could happen."  
"Is it really that bad?" she asked. Haku nodded,  
"If it wasn't for Zabuza-san, I would probably be dead by now." He replied. Amaya looked down at her doll, knowing that if those two hadn't of found her, she would have died too. She was thankful for her new life, but a curious thought had planted itself if her head and over the years kept growing and gnawing at her, urging her to find the answer.  
"Do you think Zabuza-sama cares about us?" she asked softly. Haku was surprised at her question, it had caught him off guard and so it took him a moment to answer.  
"I think he does in his own way. But as long as I am useful to him, it doesn't bother me." He replied smiling. Amaya gazed up towards the horizon,  
"You really love him. I wonder if he loves us, too?" she said as a gentle breeze picked up their hair and softly tugged. Zabuza stared at the ceiling quietly listening to the children's conversation. _Children_, he thought, _they are so pure and innocent…_

As they headed towards the place Zabuza would intercept their target and his body guards, he went over the plan once again. In the slight chance that he would be overpowered, Haku and Amaya would step in and retrieve him. They would also observe the battle so Amaya could work out the weakest link and Haku could devise a strategy to counterattack.  
It wasn't long before they found the travelling party. It looked to be like only a jonin and his genin team who were protecting the bridge builder. Zabuza threw his Neck Cleaver as the other two hid their presence and watched silently. The sword sailed over the shinobi's heads and sank into the trunk of a tree; Zabuza landed on the handle and so the battle began. After blinding the shinobi with mist, Zabuza proceeded to split them up – taking the Jonin away from his team. Amaya watched them closely like a vulture watching a dying lamb. The team was comprised of two boys and one girl all around 13 or 14 years old, a year or two younger than Haku. Although the blonde boy seemed relatively useless, Amaya could still sense some kind of hidden, untapped power deep within him. The girl didn't interest her in the slightest; she could tell right away that she was the weak point in their team. But the boy with hair the colour of raven's wings intrigued her.  
"Haku," she whispered. Beside her Haku gave a small chuckle,  
"He interests you too, huh?" She didn't reply but instead jumped to a higher branch to get a better look. By now Zabuza had the Jonin trapped in a water prison, leaving the others helpless to his power. She frowned as the blonde boy began to charge at Zabuza's water clone repeatedly, continuously getting overpowered and knocked back. She gasped as he revealed the reason for his stupid actions. Zabuza had taken his forehead protector.  
"All that for some piece of fabric and metal? Is this kid thick or something?" she said to herself.  
"Amaya, have you identified the weakest?" Haku asked. The younger girl nodded,  
"It's the girl." She replied. Haku nodded,  
"I need you to go do something for me now."  
"You're kidding me?" Amaya hissed. How could he send her away now, right when things were getting interesting?  
"No. I need you to go back to the hideout. You've done what Zabuza-san wanted you to do." Haku told her harshly. Amaya flinched at the severity in his voice, but followed his instruction without another word. As she left, she glanced back at the dark haired boy below as he caught a Fuuma shuriken.

Back at the hideout, Amaya's annoyance had turned to fury.  
"Why the hell did he rescue me if he wasn't planning on using me?!" she screamed at her doll, "He told me he had a use for me…Just what has he been training me for?!" Her doll just stared lifelessly back at her which only enraged her more. With an animalistic growl she tore off its head and threw it away. It was a stupid toy and she'd always hated it. It had been a present from her father; he'd given it to her when she was a baby, but as she got older she began to despise the doll. It represented everything she wasn't. The doll had flowing dark hair in ringlets and large glistening blue eyes, red lips and a pretty green dress. Amaya's hair was straight and an unusual shade of crimson, her eyes matched her hair and she'd been told they were unpleasant. The only thing she had in common with the doll was the pale skin.  
After she had calmed down she noticed a bird sitting on the window ledge, waiting to be acknowledged. She frowned as she reached for the note attached to its back. It was from Haku; he'd written to tell her that Zabuza had been beaten. In another fit of anger, Amaya ripped up the note into tiny pieces and threw them away.  
"That idiot!" she screamed at no one. The truth was, although she was angry at him for being over confident, she was worried about Zabuza. He meant everything to her; he was her home, her family and her world. She knew that Haku would take care of him and they would be back at the hide out as soon as possible, but she couldn't control her emotions. She had to clear her mind so Amaya decided that it would be prudent to take a walk.  
Once she was out in the cool breeze with the warm sunlight on her skin, she felt a whole lot calmer. The forest area surrounding their hideout was full of birds singing merrily, unphased by the crimson haired girl's presence. The smell of herbs filled her senses as she came into a small clearing. She would have to tell Haku about this meadow and its bountiful medicinal herbs as she was sure he wasn't already aware of it. As she followed the unmarked paths of the forest she eventually came to a clearing. There, down below was a village. The village, she assumed, was the small fishing village that was home to Tazuna, the bridge builder and their target. After some thought, Amaya decided that it wouldn't hurt to do a little bit of reconnaissance, and leapt from the ledge and landed gracefully on the water's surface.

The village was a depressing sight. Everywhere she looked, homeless and poor people lined the streets, begging for scraps. Orphans ran around in packs just trying to find a morsel. She overheard some men talking about the bridge and how it would save their town. Unfortunately, their hope was all in vain. There was no way that she, Zabuza and Haku would fail in their mission. Tazuna was going to die and nothing could change that. Amaya was confident in that fact as she walked the streets, until she met the sad eyes of a young orphaned girl. The girl was near death and sat with her knees against her chest and her head resting on the side of a garbage bin. It was her eyes that made Amaya stop in her tracks. The dying girl had the same eyes Amaya once had; lifeless, hopeless eyes that had seen too much death. What she did next was only because of the girl's eyes.  
"Here." She whispered and placed some money in the girl's small, weak hands, "You have to live."  
"Thank you." The girl said weakly as tears of joy began to stream steadily down her cheeks. Amaya nodded, straightened and continued on her way without a second glance back at the girl whose life she had just prolonged. She knew it was cruel to let that child live only a few days more, just to take away the hope and promise of a better life. But it was just something she had to do. By now her thoughts had turned to her past. She was reliving her childhood when she suddenly ran into something hard, causing her to stumble backwards. She landed heavily on the ground and rubbed her forehead.  
"Are you okay?" asked the boy whom she had just run into the back of. She peered up through the veil of her crimson hair and subdued a gasp. It was the boy from before. The boy with hair the colour of ravens wings.  
"I'm fine." She replied composing herself quickly. She had to leave before they figured out who she was. The boy held his hand out to assist her in standing but she swatted it away as she stood and brushed any dirt off.  
"Sasuke-kun!" called an annoying female voice from ahead of them, "Naruto! Wait for Sasuke-kun!"  
"Why is it always Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke?" grumbled another slightly hoarse voice belonging to a boy. Amaya began to get nervous. This was quickly becoming an unfavourable situation as it wasn't just the raven haired boy, but it seemed as though his entire team was there. She had to get out of there fast. Suddenly the girl with pink hair appeared behind the dark haired boy,  
"Sasuke-kun, what are you doing?" she inquired nosily.  
"Talking." He replied plainly. For the first time, the girl with the rather large forehead noticed Amaya and gave her a hostile look. Amaya raised an eyebrow quizzically, clearly this weird girl had a crush.  
"Who are you?" she asked rudely. Amaya narrowed her eyes dangerously,  
"No one." She said. Just as the pink haired girl did, the third member of their team appeared from behind them.  
"What are you two doing? Kakashi-sensei is…" the boy with whisker like lines on his cheeks stopped mid-sentence when he noticed her.  
"Is something wrong?" he asked noticing her intense glare at his teammate then added while getting worked up, "Did Sasuke say something?!"  
"No, you idiot. She ran into me." Sasuke replied in the same tone as before. Amaya could read the girl's mind through her eyes. 'How dare you run into Sasuke-kun!' This was all getting too heated for Amaya's liking, so she decided it was time to leave.  
"I'm sorry about running into you. I really have to go." She said before turning swiftly and walking away. She ignored the calls from the blonde boy as she turned down an ally way and leapt over the wall.

Haku and Zabuza were back at the hideout by the time she got back. Haku sat beside Zabuza as he slept, grave faced.  
"Haku?" Amaya asked immediately becoming worried. At the sound of her voice, Haku's head snapped up and he strode towards her. Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a tight hug he said; "Ama-chan. I was so worried when we came back and you weren't here. I thought that Gatoh's goons had come in and taken you away." Amaya felt something warm and wet seep through her hair and she realized Haku was crying.  
"I went for a walk and found Tazuna's village. I'm sorry I made you worry." She said speaking into his clothes. Haku squeezed her once more and then released her. After wiping away the tears he smiled down at her,  
"I'm just glad you're safe. I would have died if anything happened to my little sister." He said.  
"Will you two knock it off? I'm trying to rest." Zabuza demanded from the bed. Amaya moved to his side and held his hand. She didn't know whether he didn't flick her hand away like usual because he was unable to or if he'd just given up trying to make her stop.  
"Are you okay, Zabuza-sama?" she asked him. His eyes shifted from the ceiling to her face,  
"I would be better if you two would shut up and let me sleep." He said sounding like his usual self. Amaya cast her eyes to the ground feeling bad about not letting him sleep and let go of his hand.  
"Sorry, Zabuza-sama." She whispered and went to walk away from him but stopped when he grasped her hand.  
"Amaya, I'm pleased you're home." He said before freeing her hand. She glanced back at him but his eyes were already closed, signalling that she wasn't to say anything else and leave. She found Haku on the other side of the circular room, leaning out of the window.  
"I found a place where lots of herbs are growing." She told him softly as she stood next to him.  
"Oh? Where about?" he asked becoming interested. After giving him a description of the paths she took to get there, Haku inquired as to what kept her in the village for so long.  
"I ran into them, or more specifically one of them." She told him, "The boy with the sharp eyes." Haku stared at her in shock,  
"What happened?" he asked becoming worried once more. Amaya shook her head,  
"Nothing. I just literally ran into him. I became distracted by all the sadness there and started thinking about **that** time. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I ran into his back. He offered to help me up but I declined. I was about to leave when the other to turned up." She replied, "But I did learn his name." Haku didn't say anything, he just waited curiously for her to tell him.  
"Sasuke. That's all I know. Oh and the girl has a crush on him and gets incredibly jealous when he talks to other girls. The blonde boy doesn't really like him since it seems like everyone focuses on Sasuke." She said.  
"That's interesting." Was the only think Haku said. Amaya frowned,  
"Why?"  
"Because they worked very efficiently as a team to free their teacher from Zabuza-san's technique." He replied thoughtfully, "I wonder if we could use their weaknesses against them when we fight them again." Amaya shrugged,  
"It would be easier that way. But…" she couldn't shake the feeling that there was far more to Sasuke than what she saw.  
"But?" Haku urged her to continue.  
"Don't underestimate him, Haku." She cautioned him. Haku grinned,  
"You're cute." He said before ruffling her hair, "Look after Zabuza-san for me?" Amaya nodded as she watched the older boy head out into the forest.

As the days passed, Zabuza became stronger until he was finally fully recuperated. Gatoh had paid them a little visit while he was still bedridden and had threatened them. Haku had stepped in and had broken the tiny man's arm, but Zabuza had been ready for him with a kunai secreted under his blanket. Now they travelled towards the bridge where they would once again face the Konoha shinobi.  
"Kakashi will no doubt order them to take up that formation again to protect Tazuna. According to Amaya's description, all but a few men have left the bridge building to him, so we won't have any outside interference. I will stand against Kakashi, and Haku will take the strongest of the three others. I still haven't decided whether it's that blonde noisy kid or the other one, but I'm sure he'll reveal himself in time." Zabuza said as they sailed on a small boat, "Amaya, you will engage whoever Haku doesn't fight. Once both of you are finished, we'll take on Kakashi together, and then the girl and kill Tazuna."  
"Understood." Amaya said instantly as Haku nodded.  
"Let's go." Zabuza said.  
"Yes sir." Replied both Haku and Amaya simultaneously. The other builders were easier to knock out; they hadn't even noticed Amaya's presence until it was too late.  
"What's wrong? What happened?" Tazuna called when they came across the unconscious men. Amaya smirked as she, Zabuza and Haku watched the Konoha shinobi piece it together. A mist fell upon the bridge, Zabuza had begun the attack.  
"Sasuke, Sakura, he's coming!" Kakashi said as they took their positions around Tazuna to protect him.  
"Kakashi-sensei, this is his Mist Concealment technique, right?" the girl, Sakura, asked the jonin.  
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kakashi." Zabuza said from their position, his voice echoing around everything, "And you're still carrying those kids. He's shaking again, how pitiful." Just as his sentence ended, Zabuza's water clones surrounded the Konoha shinobi. Suddenly Sasuke smirked,  
"I'm shaking with excitement." He told the clone in front of him.  
"Go for it, Sasuke." Kakashi said and with permission granted, Sasuke proceeded to quickly disperse the clones. Amaya smiled, this boy was definitely fun. It was then Zabuza decided to make their position known.  
"He can defeat the water clones. That kid got stronger." He said as the trio walked forward, "A rival has appeared for you, Haku."  
"It seems like it." Haku replied. As her crimson eyes connected with Sasuke's dark ones, she wished she had a mask like Haku's. Both Sasuke and Sakura recognized her immediately, but neither said anything. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise at the three people before her, but Sasuke was calm and ready to fight.  
"Oh, my… My prediction was right." Kakashi said unsurprised.  
"Your prediction?" Tazuna inquired.  
"That masked guy." He answered plainly, as Sakura realized what they were saying.  
"Just as I thought, too." Sasuke replied coolly. His eyes seemed to convey more meaning towards Amaya than Haku though.  
"So it was a lie that he was a pursuing ninja from the Hidden Village of the Mist." Tazuna said catching on.  
"He's on Zabuza's side no matter how you look at it." Kakashi said, "And that girl looks dangerous, too. They're lined up so nicely."  
"I've met her before." Sasuke said finally speaking about their crash meeting, "She's stronger than she seems." Amaya smiled at him; it seemed he had become interested in her as well.  
"Who does he think he is, coming out like that…" Sakura chimed in.  
"I hate conceited kids like that." Added Kakashi. Amaya could feel her anger building as they discussed Haku. Her smile fell and she clenched her fist at her side. Zabuza felt her anger and cautioned her to calm down, she would have plenty of time to fight soon.  
"I'll fight him." Sasuke said surprising both his team and Amaya, "He pulled that stupid act on us…I hate conceited guys like that."  
"You're so cool, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura squealed.  
_'To other people, you also seem conceited, Sasuke…'_ Amaya refrained from saying her thoughts out loud. Zabuza was right, she would have time to fight soon enough.  
"He's quite a boy." Haku commented quietly after the Konoha shinobi had finished their discussion. Zabuza mused quietly before Haku continued,  
"Even if a water clone has one-tenth of the original person's power, he dealt with those clones well." Zabuza smiled beneath his bandages,  
"But we made the first move. Go." He ordered Haku.  
"Yes sir." Haku replied. _'Be careful…'_ Amaya silently told him as he flew towards the Konoha shinobi. If she hadn't seen this move as many times as she had, Amaya wouldn't have been able to follow Haku's speed. So she was astounded when Sasuke managed to block his attack. And so the game began – Sasuke would be engaged in a fight to the death with Haku and Zabuza had placed Amaya between Sakura and the bridge builder while he kept Kakashi out of play. Amaya was not to move until Zabuza commanded. Everything was falling into place nicely. And then **he** turned up. Uzumaki Naruto. He and Sasuke joined forces against Haku, and since he'd entered the ice dome, Amaya would have to stay where she was. Eventually, Sasuke and Naruto overpowered Haku, and Kakashi had figured out a way to corner Zabuza. As the fatal blow was being forced, the unimaginable happened. Haku leapt in front of Kakashi's technique, receiving the full blow, and held him in place before drawing his last breath. A cry of anguish echoed around the unfinished bridge as Amaya watched her older brother be killed in front of her. She didn't remember much about what happened after that until the screeching of a boy her age broke through the fog in her mind. Naruto was yelling at Zabuza, telling him just how much Haku had cared about him and he'd just tossed the boy aside. His words must have sunk in because she swore she saw a lone tear trail down his face as he spoke;

"Kakashi, I know I have no right to be asking you this, but please make sure nothing happens to Amaya." Zabuza begged as his gaze stayed locked onto Gatoh who had gathered his army of goons and were now standing menacingly at the end of the bridge. Amaya looked up at him in surprise; she hadn't expected him to make such a plea. She wiped the tears away from her eyes and glanced back at Kakashi.  
"Yeah." Kakashi said coolly, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice. Amaya frowned as she wanted to help Zabuza slaughter the man who was now kicking Haku's body.  
"Amaya listen to me. I haven't been the best person to you and Haku, but I want to do one last thing for you, even if you can't understand why right now. My last command to you is to stay with Kakashi for as long as you can, join Konoha if you want. Just stay alive. I've trained you to kill mercilessly, something I now regret, but now I want you to use those skills to stay alive. Remember who you are and where you're from. You're a shinobi of the Mist, and my precious student. Goodbye." Zabuza whispered before taking off to attack Gatoh with only a kunai wielded in his mouth.  
"Zabuza-sama!" Amaya cried and moved to follow him, but Kakashi held her back.  
"Remember what he told you." He told her gently as they watched the final act of the Demon of the Hidden Mist. As she watched the carnage, Amaya felt her heart become as cold as Haku's ice. Her naivety slipped away from her and crashed to the ground in one million tiny pieces as the world began to crumble around her. Glasslike tears trickled steadily down her pale cheeks as Zabuza appeared from the carnage. He was covered in blood, spears, swords and kunai, his bandaged mask had been completely torn off and hung limply around his neck but his face looked serene and peaceful. Amaya wrenched free of Kakashi's grip as Zabuza fell to the ground. She reached his body seconds before Kakashi and together, they helped him to Haku's corpse. As she knelt beside the bodies of the two men she loved most she became completely numb. Snow had begun to fall but she didn't feel it's cool touch, the bridge was hard beneath her knees but she didn't feel the stones. She barely felt the comforting hand upon her shoulder or the gentle kiss of wind against her cheek. Her world was now black, with only two faded and dying lights before her. It was then the thirteen year old girl knew her road would be a harsh one filled with death and blood.  
Carefully she stroked Haku soft cheek as if he would shatter and was vaguely aware of the commotion happening behind her. She watched the lights flicker dimly for what seemed like hours until they finally disappeared completely. For a moment she was completely in darkness and then another light appeared in the distance. It was far brighter than the previous two and as she watched in amazement, the light grew into the form of a young boy; a boy with sharp eyes and hair the colour of ravens wings.  
"Sasuke…" her voice was barely a whisper, a soft subtle sound that would be overshadowed by another's easily.  
"Naruto!" Sakura called as Amaya's world once again gained colour. The pink haired girl called out once more, her cheeks pink with indescribable joy as she walked with Tazuna and the boy they all believed was dead. Amaya imagined Naruto's face to mimic Sakura's but she dared not look away from the boy walking out of the disappearing mist for fear she would once again lose her light.  
"So, you lived…" was her greeting to him as he stood before Zabuza's lifeless body, gazing down at her.  
"Somehow." He replied, "Kakashi-sensei, we should bury them." Although surprised at his request, Amaya's face betrayed no emotion. She felt a deep hatred towards Konoha and the four who had taken away her family, but now was not the time to take revenge. She vowed on Zabuza and Haku's soul that she would never forget what had happened that day, and she would never forgive those responsible.


End file.
